Acceptance and Action
by Plum'oh
Summary: Of how two boys complete each other. / collection of drabbles, 9A.
1. Chapter 1

**Rating:** T

 **Summary:** Of how two boys complete each other.

 **Disclaimer:** The characters belong to Square Enix.

Heyo!

I'm probably going to continue this with other prompts because this is really fun. :D Spoilers for the ending, though!

Enjoy!

* * *

 **1\. Point**

Ace thought that sometimes Nine should twist his tongue seven times before actually speaking, because it would save him a lot of trouble. The words that came from his mouth would more often than not backfire as he didn't take the time to be sensitive or to use phrases that didn't sound rude. However it would be quite foolish of Ace to think that Nine could change his speech manner, since the scarred boy had always been this way.

Nevertheless, this also meant Nine didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point—even if by 'straight to the point', it meant 'shoving his tongue down Ace's throat'.

* * *

 **2\. Graveyard shift**

Being out there in the wild in the darkest hours of the night, even though Nine wouldn't admit it, was pretty damn terrifying. He was a tough guy, hey, he wasn't afraid of anything. He could beat monsters in seconds and skewer soldier on soldier for breakfast, so he wasn't going to back down from such a challenge.

Even more so that he had been paired up with Ace to watch guard, and there was no way he wouldn't be on full alert with him by his side. Well, he had to be, since Ace looked on the verge of falling asleep, despite being the one who probably slept fourteen hours a day.

* * *

 **3\. Immortality**

There was something strange in the fact that they could be brought back to life; Machina and Rem didn't have this luxury and went into the battle certainly thinking that it could be their last. Ace, on his part, tried not to ponder too much on the question and simply obeyed orders and slayed enemies with his cards—a soldier wasn't supposed to think about frivolous things, especially when they didn't have anything to worry _about_. He had always presumed they wouldn't die, as long as they had Mother and fulfilled their missions with success, on top of being gifted with an almost endless supply of magic. They had nothing to fear.

But his thoughts changed when Nine handed him his cape, that Ace accepted with a smile and tied it with the others. All the while, their backs were pressed together and Nine would shout directives to build the makeshift pillar, before resting his head against Ace's and whispering thanks.

* * *

 **4\. Space**

There was always a good excuse to stay right at Ace's side, mainly the fact that their fighting styles completed each other—long-range and short-range attacks, what could they ask more? Nine decided that whenever the groups didn't satisfy him, he would talk to Kurasame and demand he be placed with Ace; of course, the commandant often refused since he had a precise idea of the plan with the groups like that. That didn't mean Nine would give up and accept it easily. On these days, he would brave the elements and sit in the empty chair between Ace and Machina, ignoring the stares he would receive and definitely not looking at Ace's smug face.

* * *

 **5\. Hair**

People often asked Nine why he wouldn't cut his bangs; getting hair into the eyes during a battle wasn't recommanded, after all, but Nine would say that it made him _cooler_. Nobody had a hairstyle like his, and he could see perfectly well, thank you very much. He didn't spend time on it, but it seemed that it did the trick since Jack once inquired how there could be spikes so well combed (like he was one to talk). And Ace said he almost looked like a chocobo, which then prompted him to pet his hair. Nine never forgot this pure feeling of bliss.

* * *

 **6\. Dominant**

They all assumed Nine was so strong and hot-headed that he wouldn't listen to anyone and would charge into a fight without thinking (he actually would). That he liked to be in control of the situation, or that if nothing went according to what he planned he would throw a tantrum. That wasn't totally true, since it applied to battles only; he would gladly sit on the bed with a smirk on his face, while a grin tugged at Ace's lips, and be subjected to all sort of touches and kisses that his lover could administer him. Who could resist a seductive and eager Ace, anyway? Not Nine.

* * *

 **7\. Sleep**

Ace could sleep anywhere, everyone knew it. They would travel by airship and he would fall asleep in one of the seats; in their free time they would find him on the bench in the garden; in class, from time to time he would nod off. It seemed he needed a daily nap to be fully functionning, and this habit was often used as teasing material—he was part of class Zero, had excellent grades and possessed great powers, but he acted like a cat. Of course, people could find him sleeping in various places of Akademeia, but they would never see him sleeping next to Nine, cuddled in the bed.

* * *

 **8\. Skeleton**

Both Ace and Nine wrinkled their noses when they saw the monsters rising from the ground, half-human and half aquatic creature. They didn't look alive, more like driven by sheer destructive instincts and the sole thought of what happened to them could give shivers to anyone. Ace didn't waste time and threw his cards right into their skulls, while Nine plundged his spear into their bodies, both trying to ignore all these haunted and begging voices that reached their ears. The scene was awful; their words were awful. When they cleared the area of these monsters, Nine heaved a deep sigh, and Ace patted him on the shoulder, silently agreeing to forget what they witnessed.

* * *

 **9\. Vacation**

Speaking of what they would do _next_ made Ace realize he had never really spent an extended period of time with Nine alone—they were always bothered by their too curious classmates or called for a mission, which prevented them from fully enjoying their time together. Of course they made a lot of memories and had fun, but the prospect of travelling the world was appealing. When he voiced his thought to Nine, the latter offered him a face splitting grin and said he would like that. No fighting, no annoying siblings, just the both of them discovering the wonders of the world and savouring the newly found peace. That wasn't that much to ask, was it?

* * *

 **10\. Underground**

Nine wasn't one to flower someone with compliments, even when said someone was his lover. It just wasn't in his character to say nice things without sounding awkward or stupid; Queen did say he was too clumsy with words to try making them his weapon. That didn't stop him from blurting out one day that Ace's eyes were so bright and clear that he would probably be able to see them even in the dark or in any place deprived of light. Needless to say, that statement rendered him all kinds of embarrassed and he almost regretted his action if not for the beautiful blush that graced Ace's face.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is the next series of drabbles! And the more I write, the more I realize that it's not very shippy orz I hope you enjoy all the same!

* * *

 **11\. Bullet**

There was something really fascinating about guns, when they thought about it. There was that one time Nine picked up a soldier's rifle to prevent him from attacking them, and he thought that holding such a weapon was weird—heavy, cold, and easy. He didn't have a clue about how to use it, but he just had to pull the trigger, right? Ace took it from his hands before he did something stupid like 'getting killed by accident'. Nine then tried to interrogate the soldier, but when the man wouldn't disclose information, he sighed and simply thrust his spear into his body. He guessed that with a bullet wound, if not shot in the right place, death would come slower; maybe it was a good thing they weren't fighting with guns, then, if it gave the opportunity to their enemies to survive.

* * *

 **12\. Liar**

Nine hated being left out or being kept in the dark. He believed that friends and close people should tell each other whenever there was a problem, or when they needed someone to listen to their insecurities. Himself didn't hesitate to voice his disagreement to the point that class Zero often reprimanded him for being too loud or too aggressive, but at least everyone knew what was on his mind. He didn't like waking up in the night to find Ace next to the window, staring out, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and seemingly deep into thought.

"Why don't you talk to me about what keeps you up at night, yo?" he grumbled, voice tinted with drowsiness but firm enough to catch the card wielder by surprise.

And Ace just turned his head to offer him a small smile, the kind that even Nine knew was fake because Ace didn't put that much effort to look genuine, and said everything was fine. Of course Nine didn't believe it, though he couldn't push the topic as Ace went back to bed despite not giving any answer to his many inquiries.

* * *

 **13\. Convict**

When Nine arrived at the foutain place, panting and exhausted after fighting so many Rursus warriors, he thought he was going crazy. The red sky and the color and the smell of blood were already making him dizzy. However, his eyes weren't deceiving him, because no matter how much energy he spent for the battle, he was trained for it and was used to cope with tiredness. But the hollow feeling in his chest upon seeing corpses of students sporting red mantles gave him chills—if they had red mantles, it meant they also were part of class Zero. He bypassed them, unable to remember their names despite some sparks of memories popping up when he tried to focus on these faces, but other than that he was at a loss. His classmates were killed and he didn't know how; if they were class Zero, they must have been powerful, so how were they brought down?

He lifted his head and came face to face to the glowing red eyes of Ace. Ace didn't have red eyes.

Nine didn't even have the time to open his mouth that Ace raised his hand and a thunderbolt flashed in the sky before landing right next to Nine. The latter hissed and jumped to the side, staring with disbelief at the blackened spot. This hadn't been a mistake—Ace was truly aiming at him. Nine glanced back at his classmate, spear in hand but unable to move or point his weapon at someone he cherished dearly.

Yet he had no choice, as the crimson glow in Ace's eyes and his smirk indicated anything but the gentle and loving friend he was supposed to be.

Nine's spear clattered on the floor and so did his body.

* * *

 **14\. VCR**

"Who the fuck is responsible for this shit!" the scarred boy yelled upon entering the amphitheater, startling half the class and making the other half groan.

Nine stomped down the stairs, deeply unamused judging by the snarl he was sporting. He waved around something rectangular and black, feet firmly planted on the ground just in front of the teacher's desk, and his voice carried the same anger he was radiating off.

"Who wants to die, yo?!" he exploded again.

"If you would elaborate, perhaps we could help you with your issue," Trey said with a calm irritation.

"The one who fucked with me knows what I'm talkin' about!"

"The one who _fucked_ with you, literally or figuratively?"

Nine's head snapped to the left and his eyes zeroed in on the smiling and smug face of Jack, casually sitting in a chair with his arms behind his head. Nine didn't need to look for the culprit anymore. His legs took him right next to the other boy, and he was damn well ready to throw a punch if not for his classmates' confused questions.

"What do you mean?"

"What's that thing in Nine's hand?"

"Hey, I think it's a video tape!"

"Oh, really? What's recorded in it?"

" _Nine got laid?"_

"If you guys want to see the video, I have another copy!" Jack chirped.

And chaos erupted as Machina and King restrained a struggling Nine who just dropped the video tape to use both his hands to likely strangle Jack. The katana wielder chuckled and swiftly got out of his seat in a hop and ran away, before the wrath of his dear adopted brother fell on him.

Cater picked up the black object, and carefully handled it. She saw a white band on the side and turned the video tape over, squinting to read Jack's scribbling. Before she could even make out the first two words, the black rectangle was snatched from her hands and she let out an annoyed yet surprised cry when she saw that it was Ace who got a hold of it. Ace who looked rather uncharacteristically alarmed and restless and—was that a hue of red on his cheeks?

"Jack is playing a prank on Nine again, I think it would be best if we get rid of _that_ before an actual bloodbath happens," he states with something akin to urgency.

Ace didn't often get involved in the childish drama that occurred among them. Cater still stared at him with bewilderment even as he was walking away, probably disposing of the video tape as he had declared, and only when Nine stopped wrestling against Machina and King's hold with grumbled insults did the pieces click together in the girl's mind.

"Ace fucked Nine!" she screamed.

* * *

 **15\. Irony**

They had been training for years in a lab under Mother's strict program, but Nine thought it was a bit idealistic of her to expect them all to master magic. His body seemed to reject any powerful spell, leaving him the average magic at the tips of his fingers—firaga was the exception, though. He had the best affinity with fire, and Ace displayed better talent at ice. It was kind of funny, because it represented well their personalities—hot-headed guy with the collected and cool one. By many ways they were different, but that didn't mean anything. Opposites were said to complete each other, or to never click together; at this moment Nine felt they fitted right, hands joined and fingers intertwined, Ace pouring part of his magic supply to heal injuries and enhance abilities. It felt warm.

* * *

 **16\. Abusive**

Ace grunted but didn't draw back, welcoming Nine's mouth on his own for one of the many kisses they exchanged before meeting the others. He always wondered where this energy came from as soon as they got up, but maybe it was just him who would rather sleep for an extra twenty minutes. Nine's lips trailed on his jaw, and Ace opened his eyes halfway to the sight of his lover gazing directly at him, blue eyes reflecting all the passion and strong attachment he carried everyday when they were together.

Ah, this was why he could never refuse a kiss—and Nine knew it, so he took full advantage of that.

* * *

 **17\. Yellow**

Ace placed his chin between his forefinger and his thumb, observing with mild curiosity the chocobo chicks smothering his lover with their affection. All he could see was a blob of yellow feathers, and to be quite honest it was rather... endearing. Ace crouched, watching Nine struggle getting up without crushing any of the chicks, but failed and plopped back down with a cry from the dead. A soft chuckle escaped Ace, and instead of helping the other boy he extended a hand and petted whichever chocobo that was nearby, making a note in a corner of his mind that Nine and chocobo chicks made a wonderful sight.

* * *

 **18\. Threat**

Anyone pointing a weapon at them was considered a threat; the logical response was attacking before being attacked. Nine had thought like this since day one, especially since he came to the conclusion that protecting the ones (the one?) he loved was something on top of his priorities. He would wield his spear to protect, not necessarily to destroy, even though most of the time he could hardly see the difference. Weapons and enemies were easily dealt with; he couldn't, however, read someone's mind or predict what would happen if he let something specific unfold. In that case, emotions could rapidly become the biggest threat on a battlefield, and he had to grit his teeth as he pushed a distraught Ace forward, not looking back at the building they had to let burn despite the screaming for help from civilians. Ace had always been the kind-hearted and compassionate one, thinking about the dead and what life could have reserved for them had they not died; but on a battlefield Nine believed it best to discard such feelings, and would protect Ace from these haunting thoughts.

* * *

 **19\. Mob**

The whole peristylium considered class Zero as a great topic for discussion, in or out the battlefield. It wouldn't be rare to hear some whispering when one of its member walked around the academy, the more so in crowded places like the Ready Room or the Crystarium. Nonetheless, Ace would have preferred to be deaf to these words; sometimes it would be some scoffing, which he knew how to ignore; other times people would make a comment about his unusual fighting style, which actually made him smile a bit; but when he heard students 'complimenting' his looks or his brains or whatever, he absolutely had zero idea how to deal with it. Some of them approached him to talk, but even though there were only three or four people he found himself unable to hold the conversation very far, as he had never been in a situation like this. He had to excuse himself, and hurry back to Nine's side, who didn't miss a beat and would tease him for days, before stating that he was the only one allowed to give freely compliments about hair or eyes or face or body.

* * *

 **20\. Exchange**

To be frank, Ace had trouble not shaking his head at Nine's attempt to control his cards. He did tell him that the cards were special and wouldn't respond to anyone's else magic, or if they did it would require a great deal of power—the cards chose Ace, not the other way around. Nine's face had never borne such a focused expression, with his eyes glued on the card in his hand, lips pressed into a thin line and brows furrowed. But the card wouldn't budge and in the end Nine grew frustrated with the whole thing, loudly sighing and collapsing on the ground like a pouting child. Ace smiled at the view and weighed the spear in his hands, recalling the day his lover decided to take up this weapon. He knew from the start he wouldn't be able to do much with it; he lacked the necessary strength to swing it like a vulgar stick, but also the dexterity to wield it. Well, this couldn't have a good outcome—emphasized by the fact he almost gouged out Nine's eye while trying to make a thrust.


End file.
